Katara and the Aztecs
by drakeara
Summary: Katara finds herself on a myserious island filled with both benders and nonbenders, the only thing is that they are all women. Slightly future, later Zutara, OCOC and other stuffs. haitus untill after Pirates And Prizoners
1. She Who Fell From Heaven

A/N: Ok, this is kinda AU. It kinda became a songfic, sorry 'bout that.

* * *

She Who Fell From Heaven 

Laying on the cold earth of an unknown island, Katara groaned lightly in pain. She was flying on the back of Appa before she fell, away from the fire nation. Aang had tried to fight the Fire Lord, but he was too powerful. Aang was killed as he had not completed his training. Before any of them could get hurt, he made them get back on Appa. His worried and angry expression was the last that Katara had seen of him, but she knew that he had lost, they all did. The young Avatar had hoped that the army would leave the three survivors alone but Katara, Sokka and Toph were chased down. Katara was using her bending to keep them at bay, but when Appa made a sudden turn, she tumbled into the dense fog below. The last thing she heard was Sokka screaming her name.

Unbeknown by the semi-conscious water bender, a hooded figure had seen her fall. Her face and most of her body was hidden by the grey cloak, but her sandled feet were visible from the bottom. The mysteries figure rush over to her and crept closer. She could see that the girl was of Water blood, and had been travelling. When she came into Katara's view, the young woman looked at her with pain-glazed eye and groaned in discomfort again. The figure hushed her, and picked her up like she was a small child. The unknown person was quiet strong. She then carried her beck towards the wood land area. Oblivion fully claimed over Katara as she did so.

The Air had a sweet smell. It was a heavy smell, but not a sickening one. A combination of scents that Katara both did and didn't know. As Katara began to open her azure eyes, she noticed that whatever room she was in was lit by candles. It must have been late outside. The room was quiet, so Katara decided to look around from where she lay. The room was small and round with bamboo walls. There was a couple of shelf's with bottles, scrolls and artefacts of unknown uses. She was laying on a bamboo bed with an extraordinarily comfortable mat, supporting pillow and warm blankets. Looking down at herself, she noticed that she wore no clothes. With a gasp, she shot up and wrapped the blankets tightly about herself.

At that moment, the figure walked through the door.

"Oh, I see you're awake." Pointed out the woman. Katara slightly scowled at her. She then undid the cape and hung it on the nearest cabinet to the door. Katara gasped at her. She wore a lemon wrap around her chest, showing more of her deep cleavage than she dared to think, and two measles strips of lemon and gold tied at her hips, dangling around her knees and showing most of her legs. Her sand covered sandals criss-crossed up her legs to her knees. Loops of gold hung from her ears and a tiny dot of gold was in her wide nose. She had green hair that partially was in a loose low pony tail and partially spiked up on her head in a Mohawk. Some kind of tribal tattoo was painted on her forehead between her ivory eyes and shone brilliantly against her sun kissed skin. Katara quickly shot questions at her.

"Who are you? Where am I? Where are my clothes? Why did you take them from me? Any man could have easily taken advantage of me, didn't you realise that?" The lady in very revealing clothes just shook her green head with a slight laugh.

"I see your voice isn't damaged. My name is Ai and I am the tribe Whych. Don't treat about your clothes or innocence, there are no men on the Aztec Island." _No men? _Katara thought, looking slightly confused at Ai. She then knelt down and pulled a pile of fabrics out from under the bed. "Here, some clothes for you. Might I ask you what your name is?"

"Katara" She told her, lifting up the clothes. It was similar to the clothes that Ai wore, but in blue and silver in place of yellow and gold. Katara began to tie the chest piece over her bust. It fit nicely.

"That's a pretty name." Katara nodded in thanks as she fumbled with the skirt piece. Ai gave her a helping hand, tying the not like it was on her hips. She then pulled a pair of sandals out from under the bed. " Put these on and follow me. We've got to get you to a better place to stay" Katara wondered why she couldn't just stay there, but Ai continued to speak. "This is one of our healing huts, others will need it, you know. Besides, its not the best place to stay overnight." She told her the last part with a lopsided smile. After fumbling on the comfortable sandals, she followed after the Whych half obediently.

The hut that the two of them arrived in at the dead of the night was of a nice size. The front room was sparsely furnished with plane wooden walls and a strangely warm floor. Katara was led towards one of the doors at the other end of the middle sized room.

"Here, I feel this room will suit you nicely." The walls were wooden like the rest of the house and a window let in the beautiful moonlight. Beside the widow was two jugs of water and the floor was covered in furs. A burning fireplace was imbedded in the wall, soaking the room in a gentle light.

"Its beautiful." Katara gasped almost mutely.

"I know. My sister was a water bender, so she had it fixed up like her fathers home." Ai said with a hint of pride and sadness in her wise voice.

"What happened to her?

"Her name was Aqua. She died of an illness that I could not cure last spring..." Her ivory eyes switched to the floor with a sad tear forming in them. "Good night, Katara." She then stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Later that night still, Katara was still awake. In the distance Katara could hear a prayer-like singing in the distant. Somehow, she knew the song.

_Tears in Heaven. Ai_

_Ai: Would you know my name  
If I saw you in heaven?  
Would it be the same  
If I saw you in heaven?_

_I must be strong  
And carry on,  
'Cause I know I don't belong  
Here in heaven._

_Would you hold my hand  
If I saw you in heaven?  
Would you help me stand  
If I saw you in heaven?_

_I'll find my way  
Through night and day,  
'Cause I know I just can't stay  
Here in heaven._

_Time can bring you down,  
Time can bend your knees.  
Time can break your heart,  
Have you begging please, begging please._

_Beyond the door,  
There's peace I'm sure,  
And I know there'll be no more  
Tears in heaven._

_Would you know my name  
If I saw you in heaven?  
Would it be the same  
If I saw you in heaven?_

_I must be strong  
And carry on,  
'Cause I know I don't belong  
Here in heaven.

* * *

_A/N: Her name is pronouced Aye, by the way. Again, sorry it became a songfic. um, that song, Tears in Heaven, is by Eric Claption Next chapter: The Emporesses Quest

Edit: Sorry, her eyes were meant to be ivory. Ma bad ;


	2. The Empresses Quest

The Empresses Quest

A warm, soft sunlight from the wide window in Katara's room. She sat up and stretched arching her back. The air was heavy with the smell of unknown herbs, different from the mixed scent from the healing huts' scents, and the house was quite quiet. Katara got to her feet with another stretch and slipped out of the room. The front room was as empty and abandoned as it was the previous day.

"Ai?" She called looking around herself.

"In here" replied her voice. It came from behind the door of the room next to Katara's. She opened the door and crept around the corer of the room. It was another wooden-walled room with the weird warm floor. There was one small window that was covered by a ratty, grey silk and the walls were lined with shelves containing herbs, scrolls, bottles, containers and artefacts of unknown uses. In the centre of the room was a cabinet with several smallish statues of what appeared to be Aztec goddesses. A simple, unmade cot was pushed into the corner nearest the window and a pulled back curtain would normally divide it from the rest of the room. Ai was at the other end of the room huddled in front of a long bench. She turned around momentarily and smiled at Katara. Balanced on her nose was a pare of glass goggles that wrapped round most of her face. At that time, she was sorting out one of her medicines. "Good morning, Katara. You better go and get yourself straightened out, as soon as I'm finished we're going on a tour of the island and then we have been summoned to see the empress." Katara looked up to the eighteen year old whych and nodded with a slight grin.

"Ok, Ai." She smiled.

* * *

Moilah Island was a very beautiful place The land was well balanced between woodland and farmland, with a white sanded beach circling it. The people were well populated between all of the nations and bloods, including air benders, much to Katara's amazement. They used their talents for more convenient things and lively habits than fighting. The main city Teh had two training arenas, one for benders and one for non-benders. Katara was ushered by Ai all over the city and the best part of Moilah, skimming past farms and homes, halls and healing areas. They past a few temples as well, Ai told her of some of the goddesses that the Aztecs worshiped and how as well as they went. It was all quite interesting As they passed a giant sundial, Ai cast a quick glance at it and gasped loudly.

"Oh, my. we've better head towards the palace or we'll be late. I got a little carried away." Ai cried out. She grabbed Katara's wrist lightly and cantered towards the grand palace that resembled one of the temples, but much taller. The two skidded to a halt before the huge doors of the grand palace and Ai sorted her outfit and hair out. "We are here on decree of her blessedness, Empress Nila." One of the guards on top of the tall posts nodded and pulled on a rope that aloud the door to swing calmly open. Ai walked faster ahead of Katara without so much of a thanks. Just before Katara skimmed past the gate, she gave a nod of appreciation to the guard, who nodded back in acknowledgement. Empress Nila was a beautiful woman who looked around thirty years old. Her silver-streaked blond hair hung down just past her hips. She had pale skin and bright blue eyes. The only thing she wore was an extravagant crown made of banana tree leaves and wood. The higher up in royalty a person was, the less she wore, so that is why the queen wore only a crown. Ai and Katara stood before her. Ai suddenly swooped down onto one knee and folded one hand over it. "Your grace. We are here as you summoned."

* * *

"You want me to what?!?!?!" Katara exclaimed, getting to her feet.

"Katara, it is in the interest of Moilah and ending the war." the beautiful queen told her calmly. She was expecting the young bender to seduce the Fire Lord until she could get close enough to knock him out and bring him back to Moilah Island. Katara wouldn't have had a problem with it if the Fire Lord wasn't twice her age. "No, you have it all wrong Katara. That Fire Lord died of wounds given to him by the Avatar. The young Zuko is Fire Lord now, as his father dieing will." That only relaxed Katara slightly.

"But he hates me..." Katara told her quietly. From a dark door behind Nila, a lady in black stepped out and fluttered her dust wings.

"Not really. I have seen that he clearly has really strong and positive feelings for you." Ai looked over the winged woman quickly.

"You're a Succubus, aren't you?" She asks boldly. The lady nodded her black haired head with a proud smile. "By the looks of things one that feeds of love, passion and pleasure." She nods again.

"Tec's the name."

"Yes, well enough introduction time!" snapped Katara. Both women looked at her in silence.

"Whych Ai? You shall teach Katara how to be seductive. Tec shall assist you" Ai nodded at the empress, but Tec was a little less willing.

"Me! Why can't she do it alone! She taught all those other girls!" Yelped Tec. The queen looked down her nose at the yellow eyed demon.

"Because you know what interests the young Fire Lord. Besides, when they travel to the Fire Nation, they will need your skills to get there." Snapped the queen, getting to her feet. Tec muttered something inaudible and crossed her arms in strop. "You are dismissed now." Ai and Tec then bowed again and dragged Katara out behind them.

* * *

The three women were in the middle of a pretty clearing behind Ai's home.

"To master the walk, your knees must be kept together, allow your hips to swing freely." Instructed Ai, demonstrating the walk. "Now you try it Katara. No wiggle your hips a little more."

"What like this?" Katara playfully wiggled her hips like she was a worm, provoking fits of laughter from Tec. Ai shook her head with a slight, lopsided grin. She pulled from a nearby tree, a brush of buds on thin vines and held it up to Katara. "What's that?"

"Ostrich Horse tail." she informed her flatly. Katara gasps loudly "Its not real tail, later in the year, these will all bud out into beautiful flowers. Now take off your skirt and tie it around your hips." Katara did as she was told, blushing all the while. "Now use the tail as a brush. Sweep the floor with it, and your hips should get that right action. That's it! You've got it!" Katara through a bright smile over her shoulder at Ai and continued to practice. "All that's left now is packing and going! This is going to be a flash."

* * *

Moilah is surrounded by a ring of whirlpools and an outer ring of huge, inevitable rock spikes. When the Aztecs wish to travel to land, they take a barge to the rock spikes. Water benders temporarily stop the whirlpools and a ship hidden inside on of the larger spikes. The ship was a normal Earth Kingdom merchant ship with a very simple appeal. Nothing could stand out on it. Katara, Ai and Tec weren't the only girls on the ship. Several other ladies that had been trained in sailing accompanied them. With use of a combination of water bending and air bending, they made it to the mainland that holds the city where the Fire Lord lived in a matter of days. Ai was standing on the beach on the edge of the fire nation looking annoyed up at the ship.

"You could have at least dropped us closer to the city, Linnana!" She yelled up to the captain as they prepared to leave.

"No, sorry, Ai. They wouldn't have let us that far in." She apologises down to them. "Besides, some of the women are ready for children." Ai grunts in irritation and slings her pack onto her shoulders. Around her hips was a pack that contained spells, potions and unknown artefacts. The pack on her pack was not very big either.

"Come on, ladies. We better get going. Its going to take a few days at least to get there." She shot an angry glance up to the ship on the last note. With that, the trio set off into the forest by the beach, leaving the ship behind them.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, this is where it starts to heat up. Next chapter there will be more exiting stuff, more humor too.**

**Chapter three: To the City of the Fire Lord**


	3. To the City of the Fire Lord

To the City of the Fire Lord.

* * *

Tec hated long journeys. She hated doing it all the heard way. If it wasn't for her two human accomplishes, she would have just flown the whole way. But no, that would have been so unfair on Katara and Ai. She let out an irritated huff and continues to strop behind the other two.

"Ah, will you stop with the silly huffing and puffing already, Tec, it's driving us mad!" Snapped Ai over her shoulder.

"I wouldn't be stropping if I was aloud to fly." She mumbled back.

"Well don't blame me! I, personally, would have landed us closer to the city, saved us days walking. But no we 'Wouldn't have been aloud to'. Stupid woman." She growled

"Stop fighting, you two!" ordered Katara. She prayed that they wouldn't argue the whole way. "Really, you're worse than my brother at times!" Both older women muttered a weak apology to her and continued to walk in silence.

* * *

By the third day of trekking the woodland area, half way through the journey, they found themselves a neat place to stay.

"Wo! It's a pool! The water looks lovely!" Cries Tec with a ridicules grin. Ai was a little more thoughtful.

"Hmm, it looks deep." Deducted Ai. "Remember, girls, this is…" A sudden blur of pink and dust shot past her and ran to the water.

"Cannonball!" Cried Tec as she jumped into the deep water.

"Man. Territory." She groaned and rolled her white eyes. She then tugged off her own clothes and strode into the deep pool. "Coming Katara?" She then followed in the Whych's lead and dove into the clear water. Tec suddenly ducked deep under the water and came up a few moments later.

"It is really deep. Care to see how deep Ai?" She shouted over the sound of water. Ai was one of the best divers on Moilah, being that she can dive right beneath the whirlpools. Ai nodded and dove down beneath the wave-less surface. It steadily grew darker and darker, yet she still couldn't see the bottom of the pit. She was about to give up and go back up when she saw a pair of glowing red eyes.

* * *

"What's taking Ai so long?" Tec thought out loud. "It can't be _that _deep." Both of them were longing in the shallower water, propping their heads above the water on their elbows. Suddenly Ai popped up with such force that she half leaped out of the water. She waved her arms around and tried to shout something to them, but they couldn't hear. She swam closer as fast as she could; her arms were kicking the water up behind her and her arms powered in a circular motion. When she was closer she started to shout again.

"Water Serpent! Water Serpent!" Blood was trickling from her nose. She had obviously emerged from the depths too fast. Suddenly they saw what all of the commotion was all about. The huge aqua marine head of a sea dragon burst out of the water and was followed by a grand amount of the creature thin but huge body. It roared at them and dove at Ai. She avoided it deathly grasp. Narrowly. She began to swim again as Katara and Tec scrabbled out of the water. All three girls were soon out of the serpent's element but not its reach. It stuck again and caught Katara's slender leg. With a flick, it lifted its catch into the air. "Katara!" Ai dove at her hip bag and pulled a pair of small round things made of wood. She looped the loose string attached around her middle fingers and readied her attack. With a flick of her had, she launched the yo-yo at the beast. It hit its chin. The monster roared and dropped Katara to the earth. When the creature attacked her, Ai flicked out both yo-yo's. It thumped into the bridge of the creature's nose. The Sea Serpent roared in pain and vanished into the deep pool. Ai's attention then switched to Katara. She ran to the side of the waterbender and looked over her quickly. Her leg, the one that the beast had caught her with, was bleeding a lot. Ai pulled from her bag a rag of fabric and a vial of water. She tapped Katara awake and made her sit up. She soaked the cloth in the water and pressed it against the gash. Tec held her up whist Ai whispered to Katara. "Come on, Katara. Heal yourself. Heal!" The greyed rag began to glow blue as the water bender used her healing abilities. Ai pulled the blood stained rag away and folded it back into her bag. Katara's wound was completely healed.

* * *

Some time later, the girls were walking again. Fully clothed and contentedly quite.

"Ai? How did you know that I am a healer?" Katara tipped her brown haired head to the side as she asked her. After a moment of thought Ai just shrugged.

"It's my job to know this kind of stuff. Like I have been trained in how to recognise an Avatar and a bender and even a future empress." She replied flatly. Her ivory eyes stayed dead focused on the straight path ahead. The heavens above them suddenly boomed with thunder and rain began to fall from the black clouds. Ai briefly stopped and pulled two identical, black capes from her back pack. She handed one to Katara and tied the other about her neck. She didn't bother to pull the loose hood up, so the rain flattened her hair. Tec used her own wings as a barrier to the rain, opening them over her head. The three of them then continued to walk in a hurried silence, try to get to any form of shelter. Shelter that just so happened to be a little earth village swarmed be Fire Nation solder still. They hid the best they could in a burned down house until the rain passed over. It didn't stop until the early hours of the next morning.

* * *

When they awoke, the harsh sunlight was accompanied by an unpleasant sight. A dozen or so Fire Nation solders, holding a wanted sign with Katara's face on it.

"Hand over the water girl and no one will get hurt." Ordered the oldest of the lot. Clearly the leader. Au jumped to her feet, her cape still covering her and her pack, and faced the men in a battle stance, yo-yo's still an hand.

"Says you" She barked pushing herself into his face. He repeated hi order with more malice in his deep voice. "Never! I wont let you take her" She flicked out the yo-yo and it his him on the bridge of his nose, knocking him out instantly. Katara, following in Ai's lead, used the water left over in the grass to attack the solders. She pulled a whip from the grass and stiked swiftly at on of the men. He was caught off guard and fell down into oblivion. Tec was not much of a fighter, but she did have three things to her advantage: Flight, which she uses to lift one of the solders away from the rest, instinct, like a bird of prey she drops the man down from a great height, and her cubi powers. She looks the next man dead in his brown eyes and lulls him into a sweet slumber. Ai, in the meantime, had axed through three of the enemies. Her skilled yo-yo's were too fast of weapon for them to acknowledge that they were about to be struck. When one of her opponents catch her off guard, stepping up from behind, he strikes her with a blast of fire in the small of her back. She cried out in anguish and dropped to her knees. Out of her hip-sack she pulls a handful of green-grey powder and blew it out at him. Foolishly he beathed in the powder potion and collapsed in a pile. She then gets up and sorted herself out. The fight was over. "Come on, girls, we best not stay too long, they wake soon enough." With that as a simple warning, the trio ran on. Tec knew that after a few more days of travel, they would reach the heart of the Fire Nation, and the Fire Lord that comes with it.

* * *

A/N: Well, bit interesting that one, wasn't it? Don't worry, zutara fans, the beloved pairing will becoming soon

Next chapter: The Trouble With Power


	4. The TRouble With Power

The Trouble With Power.

* * *

The young Fire Lord was storing back to his room after another day of endless wedding offers, complaints and arguments in the war room. He didn't care about any of them. The complaints were always the same; rebels this and misbehaved slaves that, and the war room 'chats' were always just as dead. Oh and the 'brides'. No, he would never marry any of those crazed, babbling witches. They were as evil as Azula and shallow as his advisors. None of them appealed to him in any way. They were like ice. When he thought of ice, an image of beautiful blue eyes flickered into his mind. Beautiful eyes, loving personality but with a spike of dangerousness to boot. No, he could never be with her. She was not only his complete opposite and a peasant, but hadn't she fallen off of that huge beast that the last Avatar loved so much? Her brother, the annoying twerp, had written a furious letter to him, telling him of how his men had killed one of the greatest benders around. They were left be after that.

* * *

Zuko collapsed down in front of his meditating stand and tried to relax himself. Not going to happen. A knock on the door broke his concentration. 

"What?!" He demanded angrily. A younger solder peeked around the door and looked at him nervously. "Well?" He didn't even bother looking at the young man.

"S-s-s-sir. I know you don't like to be disturbed when you are meditating, but it's important." Stuttered the young man.

"Spit it out!" Ordered Zuko.

"It appears the rebels have more dangerous accomplishes. Three cloaked worriors have been seen heading this way. Our troops at Li village, a few days away, were attacked by them. They have been reported to have one water bender on their side," An image of the water peasant flashed into Zuko's mind, mentally he shook it off. "A winged demon and a witch with magical spinning circles. Our intelligence believe that they are heading this way."

"Does anyone know what they look like?" The solder shook his head. "Are you fully sure?"

"They know that the witch seems to be training the Water Lady in something. We can't tell what though." Zuko nodded and told the young man that he'd keep an eye out. "No, sir, I've been told you that you must get yourself a bodyguard." Zuko was irritated by the thought

"How dare they offend me like that! I am a fully trained fire bender, not some silly, weak girl!" Barked Zuko, pouncing to his feet in anger. The tiny flames on the candles shot up. The young man seemed to shrink in his lord's anger.

"Just as help, perhaps sir." He squeaked. With a deep breath, the furious fire lord calmed himself. He told the young man that he would get a guard in the morning and dismissed the man. That night he didn't bother with meditating anymore, he just crawled into the huge, four-poster bed and flung the silk sheet up over his head.

* * *

_**Where am I? The walls are round and there are odd things everywhere. Wait, there is the door! I swing my legs over the bed and stand up on the floor. It's very clean. It's a hut. I walk towards the door, but something's is stopping me leaving. Wait, what's that? A cloaked figure sweeps through the shadows outside. It's dark so I hardly see it. There it goes again!**_

_**Who are you? Show yourself! I tell the figure. It obliges. With a graceful step, it appears in the gently moonlight. I can see its chin and its lips. Full and partially pouted. Clearly a girl. **_

_**"My name is Tec." She whispers. No she didn't whisper it, another shadow did. I look around, then back at the figure before me. There are two now, the newer one is standing behind the firsts shoulder. I can tell that the newer is a girl also. Her skin is pale and elegant. How like the Fire Nation women. I name this one Tec, like the shadows whisper. My attention is drawn back to the first cloaked lady again. Her skin is darkly tanned. A thump behind me catches my attention. I snap around and see a kneeling figure. Part of one leg is pointing out of the cape. It bares the criss-cross pattern of some kind of shoe. A sinister grin is painted on the part of her face that I can see. She stands and pushes one hand out of the cape. In it is an unusual round thing with a little string hanging out of it. She is the witch they spoke of. "Whych Ai" Greets the one named Tec from behind me. Ai reaches up to her hood and pulls it back. I turn and the second shown does the same. As they do they both take a step back. The first to appear takes a step forward and tips her head back a little. I can see such amazing, unforgettable, blue eyes.**_

_**Katara? I ask. She pulls back her hood and smiles.**_

_**"Zuko…Zuko...**__Zuko…"

* * *

_

_"_Zuko?" Called Iroh's voice, crashing through the dream like a ball of rock through a glass window. Zuko groans under his pillow and mumbled something. "Zuko, you swore that you pick a guard in the morning, besides, the sun has already risen. It's so unusual for you not to wake by now. Zuko opens one eye beneath his pillow. His uncle's face greets him as well as the bright sunlight. "Come now, Zuko, I haven't needed to wake you in years." He let out a hearty laugh as his nephew pushes himself up. 

"Fine, uncle. You go and ready the chosen men, I'll be down in a short while." Grumbled Zuko with a heavy voice. When his uncle left, he rolled out of bed and found himself some clothes. As he dressed he thought of that dream. It had felt so real, why would he dream something like that? He blamed that solder, telling him of the cloaked warriors, well warrioresses, before he went to sleep. He pulled a combed through his hair and scooped in into a topknot, placing the Fire Lord insignia in the top of it. As soon as he was fully ready, he stalked down to the throne room, that's where the guards would be.

* * *

Seven men stood in a perfectly straight line. They were all completely different, but very skilled in what they did. They varied from men younger than himself to men older than Iroh. As they walked past each stone faced man, Iroh introduced each of them. 

"Aiji, master swords man. Akio is an incredibly loyal and strong fighter. Daigo is one of the survivors from the Avatars attack at the north. Ouga Is well experienced. Kaname has a strong knowledge of how witches work." None of the first five interested him, when they came to the sixth, a twenty year old with a scar over his mouth, Zuko turned to him and stopped his uncle.

"You. Why shod you be my guard?" The man looked half stone-eyed ahead and saluted.

"I believe that you do not need protecting, sir. I have no exceptional skill, but I can fire bend." None of the others could.

"I pick you then. What is your name?"

"KaiSai, sir." Zuko scratched his bare chin and dismissed the others.

* * *

KaiSai stood outside of Zuko's chamber's door with full armour on. This had no effect on the young lord though. He stood by his open door that led out to his private garden. The three's leaves were all shades of bronze, red and brown and the turtle-ducks were readying themselves for migration. It was autumn, but a warm one at that. He heard a rustle from behind the tree. 

"Who's there?" he calls, this was worrying like his dream that still stung in his mind over a week. A cloaked woman stepped out from her hiding place and leaned on the tree. Zuko stepped away from the door and towards her. He could see her smiling nervously. "…You are one of the caped warrioresses, aren't you?" She nodded.

"We were coming here to see you. Well, I was, the other two were just my escorts." She told him. She smiled again, but with a little less nerve in it, and tipped her head back a little so that he could see her nose. "You still looked better with the old style, even if the little flame adds a sense of power to you, Zuko" Zuko gave her a half-grin. "And, yes, you did know me back then."

"Take off your hood." He ordered, trying to sound royal. She muttered something along the lines of 'same old Zuko' and reached up to her hood, turning lighly so he couldn't see inside of her cape. "Katara" He took another step towards her. "But you died. Your brother saw you fall. How are you still alive?"

"It's complicated, Zuko. But let's just say an angel saved me, ok?" He nodded slightly. This was completely impossible. Katara was meant to be dead! And what was she doing here anyways? Wouldn't she rather find her brother and the blind earth bender? Zuko then led her inside, still confused all the same, to the warmth of the bedroom. Just before she vanished from view, she through a look up into the tree.

* * *

"_Yes!_" cried Ai in a silent language "_She's in!_" She punched the air and clambered up higher in the tree. Tec was smiling gleefully to herself. 

"_I'm going to have a feast with these two!_" She cheered with a toothy grin. She kneels in her branch and takes off her own cape. "_We should get a better spying spot if we want to know what's going on._" Ai nodded and undid her own ankle length cape, stowing it in her pack.

"_This is going to take time, remember, so we should also set up camp for when we, well I, need to sleep._" Ai pointed out. Tec nodded in agreement and knowledge.

"_I know, I know. I'm not stupid!_" Ai shrugged at her.

"_Sorry, but its better to be safe than sorry._"

"_To true._" With a silent flutter of her dust-wings, Tec launched into the air, she flue up and scanned the grounds for an unguarded spot and a good place to spy on Zuko and Katara's progress. She dove back down and halted near her fellow Aztec. "_Found a good camping spot, but we may have to use your spellcasting to get there and spy on Zuko._" Ai nodded and rummaged in her hip pack for a potion.

"_Ah ha!_" She almost cried out in the normal tongue. "_Gotcha_" She pulled a vile of lemon coloured liquid. _"Stick out your tongue. This will give you optional invisibility. We'll be able to fuse with the shadows with only a single drop._" As she told her this, she tipped, very gingerly, a drop of the yellow potion onto her comerades poking out tongue. She, and her close by possessions, vanished into the shadows. She then done the same for herself.

"_This is incredible!_"

"_That's what I said when I leaned it. We should be able to sense each other, and hear each other in this language and with the help of the potion._" She then jumped out of the tree and awaited Tec to tell her the way.

* * *

A/N: Um, if you wanna do fan art, I'll hug ya forever. Sorry, coulnd't think of anything else to say Sweatdrops

Next Chapter: The Next Part of Our Mission


	5. The Next Part of Our Mission

The Next Part of Our Mission

* * *

Ai was hiding in the shadows of the young Fire Lords chamber. The trio had been there a week now and now the two Aztecs were starting to get bored. Her hair was starting to loose shine and it hardly stood in its trademark Mohawk anymore. Everyone else was asleep, but Ai still needed to stay on guard to make sure that they missed nothing. A tiring and mostly dull duty, but an important one all the same. Katara awoke suddenly with Zuko still at her side fast asleep. She looked up to the moon and walked over to the corner that Ai hid in. 

"How much longer is this going to take?" Ai whispered. Katara just shrugged. "I'm going to check outside. Either go back to bed or do some bending. Don't let anything happen" Ai sounded irritated. With a swish, she darted across the wall of the room as an inconspicuous shadow.

* * *

Outside of the room was a narrow corridor. It was completely abandoned. Ai, for her own energy's sake, turned off her shadow potion and stretched herself. She had been still for the best part of six hours and her whole body was killing her. She was too busy with her own problem that she didn't notice the approaching footsteps. Just at the right moment, she turned and came face-to-face with KaiSai. She pulled and handful of sleep out of her bag and blew it into his hansom face. He fell back without pain into a deep sleep. She took a moment to get her breath back and then began to set him up to look like he fell asleep on his feet. As she leaned over his face and took his hansom appeal in. His skin was pale and his face narrow like a typical fire nation person and his shoulders wide. He had the slightest stubble over his chin and short-cut black hair. Beneath his closed lids were the most amazing wood-coloured eyes that Ai had ever known. She brushed the back of her hand tentatively across his cheek. 

"You love him, don't you?" Asked Tec, stepping out of her own shadows. Ai let out a sad sigh and closed her eyes briefly. She wouldn't bother lying.

"Yes, I think I might." He pulled him in a sitting position against the wall and ran her eyes over him again. "But it would never work. I must stay loyal to my duty. I do not have the freedom of the others." She bit her bottom lip sadly and stepped away from the hansom man. She shook her head and reactivated her shadow spell. "Come on, Tec. Nothing else is going to happen tonight" They then headed back to their camp in a forgotten plot of land in the heart of the palace.

* * *

_I will do this today!_ Swore Katara running her hand through the messed up braid that reached to her spine. _I will and I must. Ai and Tec are getting inpatient now. You heard what she was like last night. Crabby and bossy. You need to cut them a break and get this over with._ Katara shook out the last of her braid and redid it. Much better. She then sneaked out into the garden and snuck up the tree. She spoke the message that Ai had been teaching her. 

"_Ai! I am ready. Bring me the potion._" She spoke it loudly, but knew only the Aztecs could hear it clearly.

"All right. No need to shout." Replied Ai, appearing near her. She pulled from her bag a small dart. The potion-filled needle part was sharp and the main body was wider. It was designed to be impossible to strike too deeply, even if it was struck on the victim with supernatural force. "When you are close enough to him, strike this in his arm or leg. The sleeping potion in this will not only knock him out for over a day, but make him light enough for even a child to carry. Hopefully, he will not cry out and we can escape quickly." Katara nodded at her, and took the dart from her hands. She then jumped from the tree and readied herself. As if on cue, the Fire Lord emerged from his room.

"Katara? What are you doing out here?" Zuko asked, walking towards the beautiful maiden. She just smiled at him half seductively and turned away; using the walk that Ai had taught her. Katara leant on the tree and giggled playfully. Only half catching on, Zuko prowled closer to her. Above them, Ai shuffled around on the tree to get a better view. The Fire Lord then reached towards Katara, willing for a kiss, but before he could, a sharp dark dug into his leg. He cried out in pain before he collapsed.

"Damn!" Cussed Ai as he shouted.

* * *

KaiSai was back at his post when he heard the Lords cry. He jumped into his room and looked around quickly. No sign of Fire Lord Zuko. The garden. He crept towards the crept towards the door and peered around the corner. There, huddled on the floor, was the unconscious form of his Lord. The scarcely dressed water bender was leaning over him, readying herself for something unknown. He took the briefest moment to prepare himself, and then began to creep towards the waterbender. Whatever she was up to, he didn't like it. He got a mere arm span away when she noticed him. She looked up, her brilliant blue eyes locking onto his wood ones, and gasped. A very soft thump sounded behind him a something stabbed into his leg. KaiSai the began to fall to the other side. Before sweet oblivion claimed him, he saw an angelically beautiful face framed with green hair and with hypnotic white eyes locking down at him with a tiny look of worry and a miniscule hint of a smile on that corner of her lips.

* * *

"Damn. This is really, really damned." cursed Ai with the unconscious man on her shoulder. "We were only to return with the Fire Lord. No one else!" The trio were running in the woodland area behind the Fire Palace. 

"Why'd you bring him then?" Katara asked with an innocent tip of her head. She was the only one not carrying anyone as she was by far not as strong as the Whych or the succubus. Ai quickly came up with a reply.

"Because he would have told someone or killed us. The plan would have been ruened!" To the other side of Katara, Tec just shook her head.

"Sure, Ai. Whatever you say, Ai." She said with a light laugh. "There is a village up there. We might be able to bargain a nights stay there if we can find a war-hater." Ai nodded at her.

* * *

The trio really stuck upon a good luck-bad luck place. The tiny village was once Earth Kingdom until it was over run. Now it was shabby and decaying. None of them got a proper look until morning and the sun had risen. KaiSai's head was throbbing. He had felt like a fling bison had jumped on it repetitively. With a groan, he began to creak open his eyes. Leaning over him was the figure from that previous day. 

"Good morning Tin Solder. You've woken early from the spell." She noted. His vision returned to normal and his tongue returned to him.

"Who are you, and where are we?"

"My name is Ai, and I am a Whych. Not a witch, a Whych, like a priestess. And I have no idea where we are, I haven't gone outside since we got here. Oh and by the way, don't bother trying to escape." She pulled an odd looking doll with a lock of his hair made into a heart sewn on it. "This is a voodoo doll. If you try and escape, the connection between you and it will cause your demise. The same goes with your Lord." She then pulled another out, it was similar, but with a heart of Zuko's hair and a crude recreation of his scar on one side of its face. She turned the doll to look her in the eyes and snorted lightly. "You know, one tiny slip, and I could kill you both, no sign of the killer either. Frightening thought, isn't it?" She put the dolls back into her bag and smiled down to him. "I feel for like a walk, care to join us?" What she meant by 'us', KaiSai wasn't to sure, but he nodded anyways, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed he was on. His eyes met with those of the water woman sitting across from him, she couldn't have been anymore than fifteen, but her eyes seemed so much older. Beside her the fire lord was sitting upright and ready.

"Are they joining us?" The bodyguard asked. Ai nodded. "Her to?" He asked again as the succubus walked out from another area in the house they were in.

"Yup, not going to miss any of the action!" Smiled the yellow eyed woman. Her age was not clear on her form. "She then passed a cape to both Ai and Katara. "Name's Tec, by the way, and that's Katara. And what do we simple maidens have the honor of calling you?"

"KaiSai, my name is KaiSai." She then smiled at all of them and took another elongated step towards the door. The others then followed in her lead, and left the best building in the entire sad village.

* * *

Ai was furious and extremely saddened by the state of the village. After a slow examining of the whole village, a sad song blossomed from her lips. 

_(No Bravery. Ai)_

Just on the edge of the city, a group of children stood in prayer. All of the varying from only two to late teens.

"_There are children standing here,  
Arms outstretched into the sky,  
Tears drying on their face.  
He has been here."_

Ai's eyes flashed over to Zuko's face then back at the children. Just in front of them was an un-grown field. Ai clearly could see the unmarked graves that couldn't have been more than a foot deep. Her eyes focused on the nearest grave, a pitiful tear forming in the white depths._  
"Brothers lie in shallow graves.  
Fathers lost without a trace.  
A nation blind to their disgrace,  
Since he's been here."  
_

She looked up to the gloomy heavens and sung out loudly._  
"And I see no bravery,  
No bravery in your eyes anymore.  
Only sadness".  
_

The young Whych then stormed down the streets fling looking around with pure malice and anger._  
"Houses burnt beyond repair.  
The smell of death is in the air." _Katara's hand goes over her mouth as she smothers a gag whilst Ai led them into one of the more distraught buildings. In the far corner, a woman is huddled in tears._  
"A woman weeping in despair says,  
He has been here."_ The next house is near abandoned. Ai watches uselessly as a younger woman coughs and breathes her last breaths. With more tears in her eyes, Ai closes her eyes and tips her head towards the burned roof._  
"Tracer lighting up the sky.  
It's another families‚ turn to die." _Something suddenly catches her attention. A small boy, barly three, was huddled behind a broken crate. Ai kneels down besides him, and gives him a well needed-hug._  
"A child afraid to even cry out says,  
He has been here." _Yet again, Ai looks up to Zuko, the child still hugged to her bust, and then closes her eyes and whispers into the childs ear.

"And I see no bravery,  
No bravery in your eyes anymore.  
Only sadness."

They then are dragged outside again. Ai grabbed the Fire Lords wrist with one hand and with the other points angrily at the children again._  
"There are children standing here,  
Arms outstretched into the sky,  
But no one asks the question why," _She drops Zuko's arm and points at him accusingly._  
"He has been here." _She points in another direction at a old man, who was similar to Iroh, as he slowly dies._  
"Old men kneel and accept their fate." _She waved her arms angrily about taking a furious step back_  
"Wives and daughters cut and raped.  
A generation drenched in hate.  
Yes, he has been here." _Again she points at Zuko. She then takes a bold step towards him and towers in his scarred face. With a light smirk she continues her song.

"And I see no bravery,  
No bravery in your eyes anymore.  
Only sadness." When she finished, she fell into silence and walked away from the group. They only stand there in pure shock. They had never seen Ai in such a state. The small boy who had curled hidden behind the crate walked towards Ai and took her hand. For the tiniest moment, Ai just looked at the boy. She suddenly swooped down and hugged him again in a protective manor. "I'll come back for you, all of you, and take you to a better place, even if my queen dislikes it. You need it more than any other people in the world. I'll save you. I promise." The small boy simply whimpered in her ear in a sad form of thanks.

* * *

The group had left the distraught village sooner then they had realised. Ai walked slightly ahead in silence. She hadn't spoken since the oath to the small boy. The speed of her pace and the light autumn breeze makes her skirt flutter about her knees and her hair bounce off of her back. Behind her was Tec walking alone with her head eyes partially closed as if she was listening to music in her head. Katara and Zuko were a few feet behind her. They spoke in hushed whispers, but none seem interested in their conversation. KaiSai was at the very back, looking over the shoulders of the others to Ai in curiosity. No one had ever seen her that angry, it was almost frightening. He cleared his thought, and skimmed to Ai's side at the head of the group. 

"Ai? Why aren't you speaking? Silence won't do you any good." He asks somewhat innocently. Without looking at him, Ai grunt angrily. "You can speak with me, Whych Ai" Her amazing white eyes switched from the blank area in front of them to his face. An expression of sheer anger was painted in her elegant features.

"Monsters are what wrong with me. Monsters like most of the damned fire nation!" She snapped at him. He was stunned into silence as Ai increased her pace again and charged off, her hair and skirt flying out behind her. At that moment it begins to rain again, it was a heavy thunder storm. KaiSai tipped his face into the sky and let the rain fall off of his face as he thought of his next choice.

"Rain. It always comes completely at the wrong time." He mumbled.

* * *

Fzzzzzzzzzzzzzzb, Fzzzzzzzzzzzzzzb. The rain ran over Ai's barely covered body as she listened to the steady sound of her yo-yo whist it cut through the cold air. The temperature never bothered Ai, she had gone through all sorts of weather in her thin clothes, adjusting body temperature was a part of her nature. Her weapon and tool always managed to calm her down. That and the rain. But this time it wasn't as effective, so she walked on a little more. By the thinning of the trees, she could tell that she had come to a clearing. In the middle was a pool. It was the one that had the serpent. They had found a quicker way back, oddly. Suddenly the huge beast rose from the water and remained there for a moment. Huge red eyes were locked into brilliant white ones. With a nod, Ai shows she means no harm, and the creature relaxes back into the depths. After a final flick of the yo-yo, she dropped it in her hip-bag and ran her fingers through her flattened hair. Sadly and playfully she looked into a sheltered pool, the surface was flat as no breeze broke it, and pulled the wet Mohawk over her left eye. She then pulled tiny spikes out of the rest of the hair. This was similar to her sisters style, her name was Acqua. A sudden ripple in the water caused Ai to jump. Her face was shattered like glass as it did, she didn't notice it changing. However, when the ripples subsided she saw. Her hair was no longer green, but brown, and was really in a pixie cut style. Her eyes was now a light water tribe blue, but her skin was still the same. She reached for her face, but the reflection didn't do the same. Realisation hit her like a tital wave. 

"Acqua?" She barely croaked out. The reflection smiled and began to turn away. "No, don't go, sis! Please don't go!" Ai reached foolishly into the shallow puddle, but her hand just hit the surface. The ripples subsided naturally this time. The minature pool again reflected her own face. Ai simply just looked into the shallow depth for what felt like forever when tiny waves desturbed the silvery surface. It took her a moment before she realised that they were casued by her falling tears.

* * *

_Where are you, Ai?_ KaiSai pondered as he jogged in the direction that the beautiful Aztec maden darted off in. His mind flashed brifly back to that emotive moment. The more he thought of it, the more he began to ponder; did he get a glips of that firm rear end? no, he was imagining it...Wasn't he? with a flick of his head, he chaised away those sinful thoughts before they became more erotic and unwanted. The gentle sobs in the near distance caught him partually off guard. When the person began to croak out a name, he worked out who was crying. He genly pushed out into the clearing and peered into the thick rain. Sure enough, over in the far corner of it was a huddled for of Ai. Her shoulders were shrugging and her head hidden beneath a overhanging bush. Gingerly he crept forward, not wanting to do anything stupid. He knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her freezing cold shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his waist in a needed hug. KaiSai was compleatly shocked at first, but then he wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders had pulled her head to his heart. She sadly listened to his rythemic heartbeat and, oddly, was soothed by it. 

"It's ok, Ai, it's ok." He whispered into her wet hair. It had the lulling smell of herbs, peppermint oil and a calming smell he had never smelt before. He swallowed a lump in his thought and spoke again. "We better get back, or the others will get worried." Ai nodded against his chest and they got to their feet.

* * *

It was only a few more days until they reached the Aztec's boat's drop-off point. Tec had flown off a few hours before hand to tell the sailors that they were ready. Before the young men knew what hit them, they were being dragged up the narrow plank of a earth kingdom style ship and sailing away from the land into places unknown.

* * *

A/N: No Bravery is by James Blunt, I love that song, it's a beautiful song. Anywho's, things are starting to heat up between KaiSai and Ai, isn't it? It might just get hotter later, if I'm feeling brave enough. 

Show your support

Next Chapter: On paradise


	6. On Paradise

On Paradise

* * *

The gentle breeze ran fingers through the young water benders undone hair as the near full moon maid her tanned skin glow beautifully. In the distance she could see the harsh spikes that rose from the sea and protect their destination from outside threats. Behind her, around two or three arm spans away, they scarred Fire Lord calmly stood watching elegant creature. She looked even more beautiful with her brown hair billowing out behind her like that. Stepping off of the raised platform where the wheel stood. She cleared her throught, and brought his attention to her. Now she was in a different outfit. she had a long dress that was simular to the skirt she normally wore. A obi in olive was wound tightly around her mid torso and tied loosly at the back so that two strips hung down her legs. Along the wider ends of the strips, small bones were sewn on. over the right side of her face, she had a triangle of silk tied, hiding her right eye and most of her face on its side.

"You better go below deck soon. We havn't had an outsider here in over several hundred years, and we can't risk you working out how to pass our defences. No offence." She informed him off hand. He nodded at her, and cast a final glance at Katara before heading below the decks. Ai followed wordlessly behind.

"What is that outfit for anyways, Whych?" Asks Zuko eventually. Blankly she replies:

"Tradition. Today is the first day of The Week of the Dead. I have to wear bones of a human on my clothes for the next week." Zuko slightly grimaced. THe bones she was wearing, right at that moment, were once in a living person. Zuko shuddered unnoticeably at how unmoved Ai was. Noticing his unease with that particular tradition, Ai snorted, and pushed him onwards a little faster. "Come on, Zuko. We don't have all day!" The young Fire Lord stopped them outside of the room that he and KaiSai had been forced to share. As he opened the door, Ai pulled a narrow strip of fabric that hung on a hook by the door and held it in a tight fist. Over on his own bed, KaiSai sat with a blindfold over his eyes. He wasn't tied up in any way other wise. Ai ordered Zuko t sit on the other cot and she bound the strip of fabric over his eyes. "Better safe than sorry." She explained with a shrug. "I'll be back when we are going on the raft. Do not take you blindfold of until I tell you." With that, she swept out of the room unseen but still elegantly.

* * *

Zuko remembered being led out of the adequately sized room some time later. He remembered the cooling autumn breeze of the sea hitting him in the face and making his hair dance on his shoulders. Zuko remembered being led onto a low flat something and he remembered that it was close to the waters edge. But after that was black. He had lost about half hour of memory, and had no idea why. When his mind started coming back to him, he was inside of a tiny wooden hut, one of the healing huts. He groaned and sat up. There was a huge bump on his head. Where had that come from? Suddenly, it was al coming back to him. When he got off of the raft, his blind had been removed. He was so amazed by the beauty of the isle that he walked right into an earth bender. She thought that he had invaded the island and attacked him. That's what must have made him loose that specific memory. He swung his legs over the bed and got up. He felt a little dizzy at first, but soon had overcome it and was walking away.

Katara, Tec and Ai knelt before the great empress in a perfect row. On this day, Ai wore her normal clothes and a chocker made of toe and fingertips bones. The empress sat with her legs crossed and her hands on her knees with a powering and proud expression on her face.

"..And now you have the Fire Lord here? Am I fully correct?" Nila concluded her summery of the trio's adventure after they had told her of it. They nodded in close unison.

"Yes, your greatness" They said. She smirked lightly in thought, and then waved her hand elegantly and lightly into the air.

"Go and receive the two of the fire nation. Bring them here. And threat not, young water tribes woman, I shall be covered to protect my dignity." She stated the last part with a rare and comforting smile. She then rose from her throne and vanished to the secretive rooms behind it. Not many Aztecs had ever trod in those grounds, and not many ever would.

* * *

An annoying giggling and the whispers of famine voices surrounded the young Fire Lord as he regained consciousness after being attacked. Again. He managed to pick up random sentences.

"Look at all those muscles."

"He's cute. Even with the scar. Wonder how he got it."

"You thing everything outside of your gender is cute ley!"

"Yeah, so."

"Shh, shh. He's waking up." He groaned as the weight of the world hit him. Slowly he opened his eyes to see several girls leaning over him. They varied in nation and race. All completely different and wearing clothes in similar styles to the women that brought him there. From the near distance he heard a gods-sent familiar voice.

"Leave him alone, you little scavengers! Go on Shoo!" Cried out Tec, placing her fists on her hips with a laugh. With a playful giggle, the girls scattered. Tec walked over to him and offered him a hand. "Good thing I found you. Other wise you'd be in for a hell load of torture. Trust me" Tec winked at him with her yellow eye and pulled him to his feet. "C'mon, kingy, we've been looking for you for ages. Little Katara's been worried, bless her." Zuko gave her a confused look. Katara was worried? About him? Women. He would never get them.

* * *

All three of the girls had been given a section of the island to search. Katara had been told to check over the lakeland, a small area near the middle of the island, Ai had the woods and bamboo forest to search, being that she had a natural eye over the woods, and Tec scoured the beaches and mountains. It was Katara who had found KaiSai, skipping stones across the biggest lake with some of the warioresses. She had brought him back to Ai's home as agreed and waited there for the others to get back. That was about an hour ago. Ai had returned fruitless half hour after Katara and shrugged apologetically as she came through the door. This provoked an irrigative grunt from Katara as she paced the floor. As Zuko and Tec finally arrived, a humorous voice from Ai was heard.

"Katara, you're acting like the father awaiting the birth of his child and an angered caged tiger at the same time! Just sit back, for five minuets." A growl for a reply was heard. Zuko was slightly nervous about going in, but when he stalled at the door, Tec violently shoved him in.

"Look what the vultures found littering our beautiful beaches!" Her cry was intended to be playful, but came out with more malice than necessary.

"Don't be nasty, Tec, we have to bring them to the empress looking relatively normal at a minimum. I don't thing badmouthing him will assist with that." Mothered Ai, placing her hands boldly on her hips from the spot where she sat on the floor. Tec rolled her yellow eyes, and gave Zuko another gentle shove. "Tec, I mean it, don't!" Tec then put her hands up defensively and took a step back.

"Ok, ok. I was just playing about Whychie"

"Whatever. Let's just take them to her now. She'll be irritated enough as it is!" The succubus nodded in agreement and awaited the rest to get ready to leave again.

* * *

Empress Nila sat on her throne with her legs crossed. Her long silver-blond hair was purposely covering her bust and a well placed silk sash covered her lower region. She wore her normal crown with the same pride as always. Nila was still an amazing site to behold. The three girls bowed to her as they arrived in her throne room.

"Welcome Fire Lord Zuko to my humble island. I am Empress Nila of Moilah." Said the thirty year old holding her head high. Zuko nodded in acknowledgement. "And you to, solder, are welcome." she nodded at the Fire Lords body guard. KaiSai bowed back at her respectfully.

"Why have you brought us here, Nila?" Asked Zuko boldly. The empress smirked at him before she replied.

"Directly to the point. I like that." She commented. "You are here so we can build a humble agreement on ending this war. It is no good for anyone. Even your beloved nation. It will create imbalance in the bloods and the world. Starting the war created imbalance as it is. Luckily, we have Air blood here, or the End would already be here. You don't want that, now do you?" Zuko shook his head.

"How long do you plan on keeping me here?"

"Until an agreement is formed and the first step for peace is taken. Now take a seat, so we can at least talk of a place for you to stay for now." The five before the empress sat on the oversized cushions in a line on the floor comfortably. "Now, Ai. Is it not so that you have a spare room?"

"Yes, but-" Ai began before Nila interrupted her.

"Good, then he shall stay there." She pointed at KaiSai.

"But Katara stays there. Where is she supposed to sleep?"

"She shall have one of my rooms, as shall the Fire Lord." With that, she rose from her throne. Before the men saw anything they weren't use to seeing, Tec covered up their eyes.

"Um, your majesty? Might I suggest, um, covering up? These men are from a world of clothed women remember?" Tec indicated, with a slight cringe. The empress then picked up her white sash and wrapped it around her hips. Tec the uncovered the two mens' eyes and the two benders followed her.

* * *

Without her usual care or elegant, Ai pushed open the door of the Water Tribe room in her house and pressed her back against it to let KaiSai in. He peered around the corner with a slight look of distaste.

"Have a little respect, Fire bender. This was my sister's room, and I'm not changing it for anyone." She explained irritated. Taking a step back, she let him get himself comfortable. "I'll be in my room preparing for the Day of the Dead festival. I've only got thee days left to prepare." With that, she slipped away into her room and slammed the door shut. Moments after, KaiSai slipped out after her. He creaked open the door and leaned on the frame as Ai worked on something in a huge pot in the middle of the room. When she finished, she turned to him and looked at him flatly. "What do you want?" She asked unemotionally.

"Oh, nothing." He smiled, taking a step towards her. She raised an eyebrow at him, and removed her goggles. "Nothing much at least." He towered over her with a hansom smirk on his face. She still had an unmoving look of confusion. A strong, pale hand went up to her chin and pointed it up to the guards face. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. Her long arms moved up to his chest, and travelled upwards to his neck. KaiSai's free arm wrapped quickly around her waist and pulled her close against his body. Soon they had deepened the kiss. He pushed her against a free wall and ran his tongue lustfully against her full lips. She opened her mouth slightly and moaned as his tongue danced against hers. One hand supported his weight against the wall as the other ran up her leg. KaiSai started to kiss her neck when she pushed him away.

"No, not in here. There are too many delicate and dangerous items. Besides, this is a holy room." Squealed Ai, trying to control herself. He leaned off of her and looked at her with a sad and confused expression. The Whych took his hand and pulled him out of the room. "Your room is much better than mine, anyways." This made him smile again, and follow a little more loyally.

* * *

In the meantime, Katara explored the corridors of the Empresses castle. As she walked down another identical corridor, a young maid in a black and white robe ran towards her with a tray full of food. She stopped in front of Katara and held the tray out to her.

"Can you bring this to the Fire Lord, miss? I'm late for my dance practice as it is." The little girl pleaded. With a nod, Katara took it from her, and the girl darted past with the speed of an air bender. "Thank you, ma'am!" She cried, vanishing around the corner. Katara laughed a little to herself and headed towards Zuko's room. After knocking, she opened the door a little and slipped in the doorway.

"I've got you something to eat here, Zuko." She smiled. Zuko was lounging on top of the silk sheets of his grand bed. The head rest was a western dragon with its wings curling around the sides of the bed. It had a single ruby for an eye and its tail wrapped around one of the posts on the other end. The walls were lined in wood and the floor had a huge rag rug on it. It was a spectacular room. With out looking at her, Zuko acknowledged her presents.

"Just put it over there." He pointed at a desk with the same dragon theme on the other side of the room. The Water Bender walked over to the desk and lowered the tray it. She then went to walk away. Suddenly, Zuko leaped to his feet and blocked her path. She gasped as he pinned her to the wall.

"I've been waiting to do this for so long." He said in a husky voice. Her breathing grew shallow as he inched closer and closer to her pouted lips.

* * *

**A/N: Well this took a while, didn't it?**

**Got art for it too? Wanna check it out? Here: http// /deviation /56100710/ and http:// /deviation /56462022/ (Remove the spaces) Oh, and if you have any questions on any of the OC's, just ask.**

**Oh, and incase you're wondering. Acqua died of terminal cancer (A really rare outbrake) and her mother died of a weak heart. Nither could be saved. Please read my other stories, **A Tale of Red Hoddies and Black Fur is very lonely. : (


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